If you actually had a "zero tolerance" policy , why was your Department head already aware of the matter, conducted an investigation that cleared the employee, and yet you knew nothing about it until I e-mailed your office asking for comment
I don't usually yell at my newspaper, but this mornings Courant article and headline "Hartford Mayor Vows Kupiec's Arrest Won't Degrade Public's Confidence " . Newsflash Mayor, it already has. The moment you took your first spoonful of Caviar on New Year's Ever, that deal was done. Almost everything your Administration has done has eroded the public's confidence. If you don't believe me, lets go for a walk outside of City Hall and listen to your constituents.
Now it is time to stop playing the victim of the media and start acting like a leader that you were elected to be, Mayor. Your decision making has been disastrous. The people around you haven't been much better. How many times does your COO have to be caught misusing public funds before she realizes it is wrong? The buttery nipple thing should have been enough to alter her behavior after the first time she was caught almost 12 years ago. Read more about that here
And as far as you being "extremely angry" as you told the Courant when you found out Kupiec stole his City car back, where was that anger New Year's Eve when he whipped out his City Credit Card to pay for you and your partners dinner as well as the rest of you gluttonous entourage at Max Downtown. Maybe it was that gastric high you were on after dining on that fine rack of lamb , caviar and champagne. The only thing missing were the cigars, but that probably came later.
Mayor, I find it hard to believe that you are this blind as to what is going on in your administration. You are just getting caught at it now. Can you honestly say that no one at that table at Max's questioned how the bill was being paid, and only in February , after I started requesting documents, that you realized something might be wrong? I don't recall ever walking away from a table at a restaurant without making sure someone was paying the bill.
In the Courant article, you apparently told them "I think the way this matter was handled shows this administration is unwilling to sweep things under the rug," .
You had no clue what was going on until I e-mailed your office asking for a comment. Doesn't it bother you that I know more of what is going on in your City than you know? Haven't you built the relationships that people feel free to come to you with these things.
Or is it that maybe they know nothing will happen because you won't make the difficult decisions , so why bother. Is it any news to you that you have department heads lying to you as to where they live. Small issue I know, but it goes to the sense of betrayal that people you trust have no problem lying to you.
It seems as though you prefer that people tell you that the tie you are wearing looks good, rather than actually giving you the truth.
Another quote from the article "You need someone who's definitely energetic and hard-working, but you also need the wisdom required to make good decisions," Segarra said, "and that often comes from experience."
I am pretty confident that is what many residents were thinking when they voted for YOU. Where is that wisdom to account for your decision making or does it only apply to a Chief of Staff. And I guess it is fair to ask, who selected him in the first place.
I also want to ask, what took so long? Why did you hang on to him for months after the Credit card issue was exposed, and then why did you go out of your way to protect him by keeping him on the payroll until the end of September?
I guess maybe you are hopefully learning from your mistakes. You also told the Courant "Segarra said that when he chooses a new chief of staff, he will seek someone with ample experience.". Well there is a novel idea. Might I add that you also find someone that loves both the City of Hartford and its people and doesn't just see Hartford as a large paycheck or a political stepping stone. And maybe even someone that has made the commitment to actually live here.
It is just sad that people are actually telling me your actions are making the Perez Administration look good.
Cut the salary in half and see how many takers you will have. That will separate the public servants from the leeches hoping to live off City Hall. And while you are at it , try cutting a few other salaries and see how long those people hang around. Not long I'd bet.
But Pedro, please stop playing the victim here. You don't do martyr well. The people of Hartford are smarter than that. The power is in your hands to change things, now start doing it and quit the lip service, it is growing thin. Do the right thing and you might just be respected, I think you will like that better than trying so hard to be liked
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